JF ROBITAILLE

Montreal-bred songwriter JF Robitaille is no stranger to lofty expectations. Yes, he’s long been celebrated as one of the most engaging songwriters North of the 49—a fact evident even in his earliest days, when he fronted indie-rock outfit the Social Register in the aughts—but with 2013’s Rival Hearts, the world began to take notice. After the album charted in Germany, he found himself playing for large crowds at Hamburg’s fabled Reeperbahn Festival along with several other gigs throughout that country. Robitaille’s international rep began to resemble his accolades in Canada. Here, a troubadour cut from the same cloth as Leonard Cohen. Or Nick Drake. Or Bob Dylan.